The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-02-13
THE MAR11N TAX ACr.



and it's Faliacies.
A Committee of the Board of Aldermen
recently called meeting of Citizers to
express their opinion concerning the
advisability Of the acceptance of the
MARTIN TAX Act. Among the other
citizens who expected to be present to
state his views was President DATE of the
Board of Finance. He was unable to be
on hand, and in his stead, sent a letter
that SO clearly and forcibly states all the
objections to the bill that we present it
in full below. The attendance at the
meeting was small, and City Clerk Scott
deemed it valuable enough for presenta-
ton to the Board of Aldermen, This was
certainly very complimentary and thC ught-
full on the part of Mr.. Scott, but the letter
was not an off cial one but from citizen
Emil E. DATE, and not from Financier
Emil E. DATE, and was intended'to say
just what he might have said if he had
been among the citizens present on the
night of the discussion, and was not de-
signed, in any sense to be read befor the
bOHfU VI AlQtIu6u. HC lCtbCI Is dS
follows:
GENTLEMEN: am in receipt of an invi-
tation from committee of your Board to
attend a meeting to be held for the pur-
pose of considering the act passed March
80, 1886, commonly known as the Mar
tin act,' with a view 10 determine its
sdaptability to the needs of Jersey City
While regrettiDg my inability to attend
the meeting, owing TO previous business
engagement, | would beg leave to state
that i have given some time to study of
the Martin act aud must join my protest
with those of many others who cannot see
wherein Jersey City would be benitittd
by the adoption of the act. | object to
the act for the following reasons:
s'Fsrst-It gives the commissioners to be
appointed too much power. They are
directed in all cases where taxes, assess
INT nts and water rents imposed before the
passage of the act, remain unpaid and in
arrears, TO examine into, fix, adjust,
determine as to each parcel of land, how
much of said arrearages ought i'll their
Judgment to be assessed against said land
and be collected from it, &c. There is
no limitation totheir powers. They may
abate per cent. or they may abate 95 per
cent.
too tedious. 1t requires first, at least two
weeks notice OF application; second
thirt, DAYS after their appointment they
are to give notice of the time that they
viii meet to hear complaints; third, thirty
or forty days notice must be given OF their
meeting; fourth. after hearing all persons
interested in said matter, either as tax
PAYERS, owners of assessed landssor other
WISE an examination OF the witnesses, an
examination of the property in said notices
and the making of maps, they shall tile
their reports; fifth, the court shall then
direct notice to be given OF this fact and
fix time to hear objections to the report;
sixth, he may return this report to them
again or refer 1T to a new commission or
TO u third commission, and so on from
time to time indefinitely until the court
is satisfied.
1hirdEy-The expense Of this commits
sion is likely to be very heavy. First
there will be three commissioners at prob
ably $4,000 each-$9, 600; second, clerk
a. 81 900; third, publication and serving
of notices, making of surveys, maps, &c,
printing, &c /; fourth. the city will buy
nine-tenths of the property sold, and IN
order for the city to sell and give good
title search will have to be made against
each lot to find out every one who has any
claim whatsoever upon it, which may cost
perhaps $50 or 5 40 each, and there being
thousands of them, will amount TO very
large sum of money, beneficial to DO one
except the lawyers who may be selected
to do the work.
"Fjmthly-1he commission may run on
for years. They would certainly nurse
so soft job
"Ffthly-This act is in litigation in
Newark and Elizabeth now and think, in
Paterson, for the purpose of testing its
legality. 1t will be better to wait until
these suits are settled, and by that time we
will know how the act works by seeing
itsprac ical results.
'sSirthly-There is 10 relief from future
taxes, &C., unless the tax exceeds 3 per
cent. If this is a compromise act it is not
consistent in its parts,
"iSeuenthly-The city, under this act, has
no power to compromise or thow off the
county lax. If we do so the city loses
lust so much money, as we will still have
TO nav the tull amount now due the county,
and it is not impossible that the amount
due the county will in many cases absorb
the entire amount received.
s.The injustice to the city which would
result from the operations OF the act are
40 apparent that | am satisfied that the
GOOD Judgment of your Board will pre-
vent the acceptance OF tue act aud it will
be laid aside for some simpler and more
effective law. With respecf, remain
yours truly,
"E. f. Datz, Finance Commissioner.
jersey City, Feb. 4.